Schiff Introduces Bill to Name San Gabriel Post Office for Chi Mui
| Thursday, February 21, 2008 | Contact: Sean Oblack (202) 225-4176 |
Schiff Introduces Bill to Name San Gabriel Post Office for Chi Mui
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Adam Schiff introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to pay tribute to former Mayor of the City of San Gabriel, Chi Mui, by naming the San Gabriel Post Office after him. Mayor Mui spent a lifetime bettering his community as a volunteer and public servant. Mayor Mui passed away on April 27, 2006 after a courageous battle with cancer. “Chi Mui was a well-respected and dedicated leader in San Gabriel. He was a role model for all those interested in public service and was particularly influential in the Asian-American community,” said Rep. Adam Schiff. “His work through both public service and volunteering improved the lives of countless people in the Los Angeles area. Naming the San Gabriel Post Office for Chi would be a fitting tribute to honor a great man.” Born in Toisan, China on Oct. 26, 1952, Chi Mui was a man of humble origins whose early experiences enabled him to connect to the Asian community in California. His parents, a seamstress and a cook, left for the United States in 1963 when Chi Mui was 10 and moved to New York City’s Chinatown. It was in New York City that Mui learned to speak English and graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Polytechnic University of New York in 1980. After moving to Southern California in 1980, Chi Mui began working to better the lives of immigrants in the region. Chi Mui’s immigrant roots allowed him to connect with the experiences of generations of people who have come to this country for a better life. Mui was a key player in the development of 600 units of affordable and senior housing for Chinatown and helped hundreds of legal residents become United States citizens by teaching citizenship classes. Through his work organizing the Chinatown Yard Alliance he led the effort to save the 50-acre “Cornfield” in downtown Los Angeles as open space, and helped obtain $35 million from the state government in 2001 to build the first urban state park and community facilities on the Cornfield. An avid runner and athlete, Chi Mui co-founded the Los Angeles Chinatown Athletic Association Volleyball Club where he taught young people teamwork and sportsmanship as a dedicated coach. He also worked to expand existing recreational facilities in the Chinatown community. In recognition of his hard work and leadership, he was twice president of the Los Angeles Chinese-American Citizens Alliance. The Alliance was founded in 1895 to advocate for equal economical and educational opportunities for Chinese-Americans. Active in local public service early on, he was a field representative for Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard when she was in the Assembly, and he worked for former Assemblyman Richard Polanco and state Sen. Gloria Romero. In a city where one in every two residents is Asian, Mayor Mui often played an important role as a liaison between the city government and the Asian community and he worked diligently to improve the lives of all residents. As a city councilmember, Chi Mui led the effort to maintain better hours at the county public library in San Gabriel to provide greater access to residents and students without increasing costs. He was a man with passion for open space and dedicated himself to improving open spaces in San Gabriel. He was instrumental in helping the City obtain an additional $50,000 for the master plan and redesign of Vincent Lugo Park. Congressman Schiff has introduced a "Kids First" agenda of initiatives to improve education, safety, and health care for our children. He is the co-founder of the Democratic Study Group on National Security and a member of the House Appropriations Committee, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Judiciary Committee. He represents California’s 29th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.
“I was elated when Rep. Schiff called to tell me he was working on naming the San Gabriel Post Office for my husband,” said Betty Mui, the widow of Mayor Mui. “I was always so proud of the work my husband did to improve our community and this is a great way to honor his memory.”
“I am thrilled to hear that Congressman Schiff is introducing a bill to rename our Post Office after our beloved Mayor Chi Mui,” said San Gabriel Mayor Kevin B. Sawkins. “Mayor Mui is absolutely deserving of such an honor. This is a wonderful way for the community to remember and pay tribute to his legacy. I will smile and think of Chi every time I visit the Post Office.”